Visit of rainmaker indicated much awry in York, Pa.

This year marks the anniversary of one of York County’s most embarrassing moments.
It was during the most severe of droughts that York Mayor John L. Snyder dug into his own pocket for $350 to bring John A. Miller, a reputed rainmaker, to York… .

We’ll let “Never to be Forgotten” http://www.ydr.com/ntbf tell it from here:
The rainmaker comes equipped with a 30-by-14-inch plywood box that he said emits “16,000 electronic waves into the atmosphere.” The day before the rainmaker arrived, the county was deluged with rain. “His machine buffed the clouds so much they poured it out before he got here,” Snyder said of the rainmaker. Miller leaves in a huff, angered by a newspaper article stating that he failed to bring rain to San Angelo, Texas, as he had claimed. Years later, a York Water Company official recalled that it rained after Miller left.
That type of inanity from the mayor’s office came only two years before summer rioting over racial abuse catalyzed by another senseless Snyder program – the city’s police dog corps.
The drought did bring about one positive change. It catalyzed construction of Lake Redman, joining Lake Williams to impound water to the York Water Company.

About the Author

About the Author

Before retirement in April 2019, Jim McClure was editor of the York Daily Record/Sunday News and associated digital products since May 2004. He also served as state editor for Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland for Gannett’s USA TODAY Network. He is the author or coauthor of seven books on York County history and holds a master’s in American Studies from Penn State Harrisburg, where his research focus was on York County journalism history.

York Town Square explores both the rapidly changing world of journalism and the landscape of regional history. History and journalism are part of a continuum, and this site hopes to intrigue readers on both accounts. See additional York Town Square posts here.